You have just traveled across the Pacific to discuss business with someone or are planning to. That person may be a colleague at one of your company offices or it could be a business prospect you have not yet met. You could be going to a factory discuss a purchase for your company or to a trade show looking for new suppliers. You may be going to purchase goods, sell goods, arrange a supply line, or to establish better communications with your counterparts in preparation for starting a major project.
Even if you are not actively involved in a purchase or sale, the issues surrounding these transactions will have a strong influence on what you will be trying to accomplish. How are pricing issues addressed? Who pays how much for what? What should you pay attention to during negotiations? What questions should be answered? What are your best bargaining points?
Many of the issues we touch on in this section may seem like just common sense, but when you are conducting business across the Pacific and using another language too, making sure everything is clear takes on a whole new meaning.
No matter which direction you are going, the rules are different on the other side.
